Thailand is confident it can provide security for public places as well as for tourists, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.

She was referring to travel warnings issued by the United States and 10 other countries following the arrest of Atris Hussein, a Swedish-Lebanese man with suspected links to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militant group, by Thai police at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday.

The National Police Chief, General Priewpan Damapong, said the alleged bombing scheme aimed at Bangkok was called off by the alleged plotters because the authorities had learned about it. While Atris is now in custody, one other person remains at large.

On Friday night, police circulated a sketch of the missing suspect, with a call for the public to help track him down.

Thailand seemed to have been caught by surprise by the publicity over the alleged plot, which officials said they had been informed about before the new year. The United States Embassy warning was the first public notice of the affair, and Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa said the Thai authorities did not release news of the alleged plot because of fears that it would hurt the tourist industry and cause panic.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovijakchaikul said on Saturday he was greatly disappointed that the US and other countries had issued travel warnings to their citizens over terrorism risks without consulting the Foreign Ministry, which he said is the normal procedure.

Mr Surapong said the ministry would seek an explanation from the countries involved and consider measures to solve the problem.